Soul of a Hero
by Dark350
Summary: No one in the world knows who BB really is, not even his family, the Titans. Yet this is to be expected. After all how would they know if he doesn't even know. Follow BB as he finds who he really is in a much different place. Yet when something draws him back to Earth will they accept him for who and what he is. Pairing undecided. BB-centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so I got this idea a few weeks ago and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I think that it is unique and one of a kind but I guess I'll leave that up to you guys. Here is a brief summary but at the same time I don't want to give away too much if anything about what will happen in the story. As usual it will be about my favorite Titan Beast Boy and much of the story will be about him. What secrets is he hiding from the rest of the Titans? What secrets is he hiding from himself? Do his friends even know who he really is? Most of all, does he even know who he really is? Hope you all enjoy, I am Dark 350 and this is…Soul of a Hero.**

 **Chapter 1: Death of a Hero**

It was mid-day in Jump City and life was proceeding much as it had the last few years. The streets were alive with people walking, the roads were crammed with cars attempting to make their way through the busy city. Then came the explosion from the bank. This sent the crowds outside into a panic as they attempted to scramble to safety. Inside the bank a skinny hero in white stepped out of the vault with a bag a money slung over his shoulder. Stepping out of the vault he smiled thinking he was in the clear. That all changed when he saw what was waiting for him outside. Or, more accurately, who.

Standing outside waiting for him was the Teen Titans, the young group of superheroes that had protected the city and even the world for the last several years. First, there was the leader of the group, Robin the Boy Wonder. A master of several different fighting styles and a capable young detective Robin had shown the ability to lead his team through any situation. Well…almost every situation.

Standing on his left was the alien powerhouse Starfire, princess of Tamaran. Her strength and power was unmatched by any of her other teammates. She and Robin had been having a strong relationship over the past year and had gone through much together. Often times they were not alone in what they did.

Standing to the right of the leader was a female clad in a purple cloak. This was Raven, mistress of magic. She was perhaps the most mysterious member of the team to the outside world as she never seemed to show any emotion. Her calm, stoic expression never changed when they were in public. In private though, she was a much different person. She was still a very guarded person yet there were periods when that would slip, even if only a little. She had found a very…satisfying outlet over the past several months. She had taken to joining in on many of Robin and Starfire's 'nightly activities'. No one outside of the team knew or suspected anything and that was just the way she wanted to keep it.

Then there was the giant metal teen that stood next to her. Cyborg, half man half machine. The Titans tech genius who packed a lot of power into that frame. He was less serious than the previously mentioned members of his team but still drew much respect for his intellect as well as his skill in battle.

Then all the way on the other side lay the team's jokester. Beast Boy, the team's comic relief, was a small figure. He was the shortest member of the team as well as being the scrawniest. All in all, not a very intimidating figure. He was known as the weakest Titan and was not given much respect by either villains or his own fellow superheroes. The only moment in which he had shown any bit of excellence was when he led a team of ragtag superheroes to take down the Brotherhood of Evil. However, that had been a year ago and since then he had done nothing else to garner any respect from the outside world and had once again faded to the background.

They stood outside the bank as they prepared to face off with Andre LeBlanc, a supervillain they had faced many times before. For the most part he was harmless, even if he did have an unnatural fascination with blow stuff up. However this would be the day that would change the Titans, and the entire city, forever.

When faced with either fighting against the all five of the Titans, something which was very unfair in his own opinion, or running his decision was obvious. He quickly turned to his right and sprinted away down the street. This earned an exasperated sigh from the leader of the young heroes "Ugh, why do they always run" Robin asked his teammates. "Titans…GO!"

All the Titans then sprinted after the thief. As they were running Beast Boy could not help but say "Yea, I mean it's not like it changes anything. They still end up going to prison. But then again why do they choose to rob this city. I mean, all they need to do is go like half an hour outside the city to some town and rob that bank. I mean, they might not get as much money but they probably won't get caught and thrown in jail."

"Beast Boy" Raven said with an exasperated tone. "Yes Rae" the green teen answered. "Shut up. And don't call me Rae." And so they went back to focusing on the chase. LeBlanc was not making this easy on them. He would randomly throw bombs over his shoulder to attempt to slow down the pursuing Titans. The team was beginning to wonder if he was even looking at where he was throwing. However, it was as they passed under a bridge that things got out of hand.

LeBlanc came up with the clever idea of collapsing the bridge to slow the Titans down. He reached for his strongest explosive and threw it at one of the bridges trusses, causing it to crack and break. Soon the entire bridge began to come down, though not fast enough as the Titans raced underneath it well before it collapsed. However a scream caused all the members of the team to stop and look behind them.

"Sophie!" a mother cried as she saw he seven year old daughter standing underneath the collapsing bridge. Before Robin could say anything a green cheetah was flashing past him towards the girl. Beast Boy quickly grabbed the girl in his mouth and proceeded to run out from underneath the bridge. Or rather, that's how things should have gone. A falling piece of debris was all it took to change things. It landed on the cheetah's hind leg before he could make it out the other side. The pain caused him to lose his concentration and thus morphed him back into his human form.

Beast Boy almost passed out from the pain in his leg. It was broken, that much he knew. However, the greatest problem lay in the fact that his leg was still trapped underneath the piece of concrete. He then noticed that the girl's shirt was still between his teeth. He looked back at his fellow Titans and saw that none of them were close enough to help him. Raven was trying to hold the bridge up but it was proving far too heavy for her. Beast Boy was going to die and he knew it. Strangely, it was not his imminent death that had him scared. For whatever reason he found he was not afraid of what was to come. However he'd be damned if he was going to let this innocent little girl share his fate. So, with one final burst of energy he transformed himself into a gorilla and used his strength to toss the girl clear of the bridge. His energy spent, he then morphed back to his human form and waited for the inevitable. He was not afraid of what was to come.

They say that in the last few seconds you see your entire life flash before your eyes. All the good and bad moments leading up to your death. This was something that Beast Boy found to be true. He saw everything, from the death of his parents to his time being tortured by his Uncle Galtry. Then on to his happier times. When he was discovered by the Doom Patrol and the finding of a new family. He then relived when he was kicked off and the months he spent wandering around between teams. Then his meeting of the Titans, the ones who would become his knew family. His sister Starfire, someone he could always go to when he needed to talk to someone. The girl that he felt most at ease with. His brother Cyborg. The man that he could just hang out with and be himself. Robin, his other brother. The man he had always looked up to as a role model. Then there was Raven.

Raven. He had always had a crush on her but had never had the courage to say or do anything about it. Then she had started to 'see' Robin and he had been crushed. Sure it wasn't a real relationship, not like Robin and Starfire but it was still sex. And if you want a definition of hell, when your super sensitive hearing picks up your crushes moans through the wall, that has to be up there near the top. But he let it go. Because she was happy. And if there was one thing that mattered to Beast Boy it was other people's happiness. Even if it was at the expense of his own.

This conclude his collage of memories as he saw the bridge coming closer and closer. He decided to keep his eyes open. He wanted to see his fate. He did not want to miss his last precious second on earth because he had his eyes closed. He briefly considered attempting to morph into one of his animal forms but decided against it. He had some animals with thick skin and even a few with shells but it did not matter. None of them were tough enough to stand up to the weight of a falling bridge. He wasn't Superman. And if he was going to die, he wanted to leave this world the way he came into it. Human. He looked up to see the concrete getting closer and closer. And then everything went black as he felt an intense moment of pain, and then nothing. Finally his eyes drifted shut.

And opened again. No longer was he laying on the cold concrete of Jump City. He was now in a grassy field with the wind gently blowing. The sun was shining, warming his back. Sitting up he looked around his surroundings. If there was one word that he could use to describe this place it would be beautiful. He could see a stream that lead down to a lake in the distance. And behind the lake lay a great mountain. And around the lake lay a forest, dense and green the way no forest on Earth was anymore. There was no sounds being made, nothing except the rustling of the grass and the sound of the wind. He could have sworn he could hear the wind speaking to him, telling him _"Hhhwelcome hhhhome"_.

He then glanced down at his skin. Gone was the green coloring that he had gotten used to. His skin was now a normal, healthy tan color. He ran over to the stream and gazed upon his own reflection for the first time. His hair had reverted back to a blond coloring, a color that seemed to shine golden in the rays of the sun. The only thing that remained the same were his eyes. They remained a deep green, the color of a deep forest. In fact the very color of the forest he had gazed at earlier.

And then he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Turning around he gasped as he saw a giant of a man. He was skinny with no real muscle to speak of yet he stood at least nine feet tall. Yet the most surprising thing about him lay on his head. Sprouting from the top of his head were the antlers of a deer. He had mystical eyes that seemed to hold every color imaginable, all of them swirling together to make something unique. He smiled at him, his eyes warm and friendly as well as…strangely familiar. Then the man spoke. "Welcome home Mider. Welcome home."

And then Beast Boy's eyes widened. He remembered. He remembered everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _(Back with the Titans moments earlier)_

Never before had any of the Titans felt so helpless. All they could do was stand there as Raven struggled to hold the immense weight of the bridge. She was trying her hardest yet everyone knew she was fighting a losing battle. Then the bridge collapsed, coming down right on top of the green changeling. After the dust had cleared they saw the girl Beast Boy had save was safe on the other side. Her mother ran to her and took her in her arms. She was sobbing while the girl was crying and pointing to the rubble.

Meanwhile the Titans all stood shocked. They had just witnessed their teammate, their friend, a member of their family disappear under several tons of concrete. It was Cyborg that moved first racing towards the spot where they had last seen Beast Boy. He was quickly followed by Robin and then the two girls as they franticly fought to remove the rubble and uncover their friend.

Meanwhile a crowd of citizens had gathered. They had all saw what had happened and were waiting anxiously to see if the green teen had made it out safely. Then the mother of the young girl that Beast Boy had saved approached the rubble. She then began to struggle along with the Titans to uncover the hero. She was then joined by a few more citizens that followed her. Soon the entire crowd had joined in, all united in searching for their lost hero.

It was several moments later but Cyborg finally managed to uncover the green teen. He cried out to his fellow Titans and then went to work scanning his body. He panicked, he could find no pulse nor any trace of brain activity. He quickly set up the defibrillators he had in his hand and gave Beast Boy's body a jolt. He checked again. Still nothing. He prepared to go again. He was sobbing openly at this point but did not care. Robin and Raven stood watching with tears in their eyes as well. Starfire was busy sobbing into her boyfriend's shoulder, not eve daring too look. The crowd did nothing but watch on in sadness, a few of them openly crying as they watched the heartbreaking scene before them.

After a few more tries of this Raven moved and put a hand on Cyborg's shoulders and urged him to stop. There was nothing more that could be done. Beast Boy was gone. Cyborg then completely broke down, sobbing over the body of his teammate, his best friend, his brother. In a rare showing of emotion Raven crouched down and gently pulled Cyborg into a hug, tears also raining freely from her eyes. Starfire and Robin stood behind them holding each other. There was nothing they could say. Nothing could fix this.

Then a movement out of the corner of his eye caused Cyborg to lift his head. The young girl that Beast Boy had rescued had made her way to the front of the crowd. She walked up to the body of the Titan and crouched down before it. She then reached down and hugged him, the green hero that had saved his life even though it had cost him his own. She then whispered "Thank you Beast Boy. I will never forget you."

She remained that way until her mother came forward and drew her daughter away. She led her daughter back into the crowd to take her home but not before glancing back one last time and murmuring "Thank you Beast Boy. I will never be able to repay you for what you have done today." After saying this she disappeared back into the crowd along with her daughter.

All the Titans remain the way they are for another few minutes. Eventually they realize they need to get up. They have a funeral to plan and calls to make. They all dreaded telling the Doom Patrol about Beast Boy but it had to be done. They would want to be there for the funeral. As they took Beast Boy's body home the Boy Wonder's mind was on the upcoming funeral. He was thinking of having two parts to the funeral. The first part would be open to the public so the people could come pay their respects to Beast Boy like the hero he was. Then the second part would be more private, consisting solely of other superheroes and the Titans. This was going to be a tough time for himself and for his team. He only hoped they would be able to make it through.

He glanced down at his girlfriend as she continued to cry into his shoulder as they walked. He thought back to the last year and how amazing it had been. It had been Beast Boy who had actually convinced Robin to go for it with Starfire. "You only live once" he had said "Might as well enjoy it". However he had frowned after saying this, almost like there was something about this statement that bothered him. Robin had dismissed it then and he dismissed it now. 'He was probably just surprised he had said something so wise' Robin thought.

He was like the rest of his team. He was crushed due to Beast Boy's death, he was simply putting his grief aside until later. He was the leader of this team and he needed to make sure Beast Boy got the recognition he deserved. The whole world owed his so much. Robin owed him so much. If it wasn't for Beast Boy he would still be stuck as a frozen Popsicle, held captive by the Brotherhood of Evil. Also, if it were not for Beast Boy he never would have gone for it with Starfire. It was also that same advice that lead Robin to accept Raven's offer of a physical relationship. At first he had been reluctant due to Starfire but apparently Tamaranians were not good at the whole possessive thing on two conditions. One, that it be a friend and two, that no matter what Robin's heart would continue to belong to Starfire.

An hour later the team was back at the Tower and Beast Boy's body was lying in the medical bay. Cyborg refused to leave his side along with Starfire. Raven had left to go to her room stating that she needed to meditate. This left Robin to return to the common room and make the necessary calls. The first call was to the mayor and they agreed to a city-wide funeral taking place in two days. The mayor said that he would take care of all the arrangements and getting the word out. Now it was time for Robin to contact the Doom Patrol.

The call went through and as Robin suspected they had already heard the news. When a hero dies, news tends to spread fast. Robin had to explain to them what happened and apologize for his own incompetence. However, comfort would come from an unlikely source. Mento had actually been the one to tell him it was ok. He said there was nothing anyone could have done and that Beast Boy died doing what he loved, protecting people. This conversation had made him feel much better however the guilt was still there. He supposed it would always be there. Robin told them that the funeral would be in two days and the call was ended. He now had one more call to make. He had to call the Justice League and officially report the news. They were technically still a branch of the Justice League so any big news or information had to be formally reported to them.

When his call was patched through he was only half surprised to see that it was Batman who answered.

"Ah, Robin. I've been expecting your call. We have reports flooding in on what happened but I need your official statement as team leader." Batman said.

Robin sighed. It was just like his mentor to get right down to business, even when someone is dealing with a tragedy. Putting aside his emotions Robin proceeded to tell his mentor what happened. After he finishes his tale he sighs before saying "the funeral is in two days. The first part is going to be for the public so they can pay their respects. Then we are going to take his body back to the Tower and have a private funeral for us and any of the other heroes that want to come. If you could put the word out in the Justice League. I have already contacted Doom Patrol and all of the other Titans and honorary Titans and they all plan to be there."

Batman then nodded and said "very well, I shall get the word out. He then goes to end the call but before he does he pauses before saying "I really am sorry about your teammate Robin. I know how hard it is to lose a teammate. You need to realize that there was nothing you could have done. Beast Boy made his own choice and it was a noble one. He died like many of us wish to die. He died a hero. We all have to die eventually Robin and the fact is that Beast Boy did so a hero is the best any of us can hope for." After saying this he abruptly ended the call, not even allowing Robin to respond to that.

Robin scoffs 'Typical' he thought. 'The one time he shows emotion and he ends the call so quickly I don't even have a chance to thank him.' But that is quickly forgotten as he heads off to find Starfire. The team had much healing to do and much as it pained him to think about, eventually they would need to choose someone to take Beast Boy's place.

 **Ok so, what do you think? Personally I like this story idea but then again I am the author so I would like it. Things we find out next chapter are going to be who the strange man was? What was it that Beast Boy remembers? What are the Titans going to be like without Beast Boy? Find all that out and more next chapter. Meanwhile I have decided that this is pretty much going to be a Beast Boy X Harem story but the harem is still up in the air. I am very much open to who the harem will consist of so either review or message me who you guys want. Could be anyone from the typical Raven or Starfire to the unusual like Blackfire or Argent. Literally anyone. Also I will be starting a poll for who comes in to replace Beast Boy as a member of the main Teen Titans division. So vote, you guys decide. Hope to see you all next time. Remember review and vote.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back. Sorry for the long wait, things at college have been crazy and I've had a huge case of writers block. The poll is now up on my page. Message or review with hero's names and I'll add them to the poll.**

 **Now back to where we left off. Beast Boy died in the act of saving a little girl. She may come back in to play later in the story, I have it decided yet. However, if BB died, how is he in that strange land? Who is the mysterious man that came to greet him and why did he call BB Mider? We will also get to see BB's funeral. Now, on with the story.**

 **I do not own Teen Titans nor any characters I might bring in from the Lost Years of Merlin.**

 **Chapter 2: Welcome Home/Saying Goodbye Part I**

Beast Boy stared at the man for a moment before his face split into a smile and he went up to hug the giant man. Afterwards he steps back and says "That has not been my name for a long time Dagda."

Dagda grins back at him. "Well then what should I call you. Sobek? Pan? Loki? Quetzalcoatl? Take your pick."

"Haha. Dagda, you know we go with our most recent name. It's Beast Boy, Garfield, or just Gar." He responded.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten? Welcome back to Avalon Beast Boy. Now come, there are many who wish to see you again. I hear Hylla has been asking for you for the last three years." Dagda said with a sly smile. "You wouldn't want to keep the queen of the Deer people waiting would you?"

Beast Boy's face reddened when he picked up on what Dagda meant by that. "Of course not. Eighteen years is far too long."

"I suppose you wish to go home first." Dagda said.

"Yea, it has been a long time since I've been home." After saying this the two began walking towards the forest. However, before they reached the tree line they heard a hawk-like cry come from above. Dagda was already chuckling while Beast Boy's face broke into a huge smile. He spread out his arms as a streak of silver slammed into him.

He did not appear to be injured as he cuddled with the silver hawk that had just flown into his arms. "I missed you Silver. What have you been up to in the years I've been gone." The hawk chattered away as Beast Boy placed the bird on his shoulder and the two resumed their walk deep into the forest.

.

.

.

They finally arrived at Beast Boy's home only to see it lit up from the inside. 'Who could that be' Beast Boy wonders until the person's scent hits his nose. A smile lights up his face as he calls out "Oh Ria, I'm home".

The next thing he knew he was wrapped up in the arms of his older sister. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her in return. They had not seen each other in eighteen years after all. Dagda stood a few feet away as he watched the family reunion. He would let them have their family reunion, they had much they needed to talk about.

.

.

Three hours and one life story had Ria attempting to process what she had just heard. This was truly a difficult life that her brother had lived. She knew she could be overprotective at times but that is how an older sister is supposed to react towards their younger brother. Even if that brother was only a few centuries younger than her.

Now they were speaking of what Ria had been up to over the last eighteen years. It was nowhere near what Beast Boy had been up to due to the very nature of Avalon. Things tended to move much slower here as the majority of the population didn't die, so no one was in a rush to do anything.

Eventually Beast Boy looked at the sun and saw it was about to set. He turned to his sister and told her "I need to go, Dagda told me Hylla wanted to see me when I got back and well…you know." Beast Boy's face was lit up red as his sister digested that information. She then tilted her head back and laughed before hugging her brother and heading out the door.

Beast Boy waited a few minutes before he headed out the door and made for the Moorlands. It took him a little over an hour to reach his destination but he still had to track down the tribe. The Deer Tribe was literally that. They were a tribe of people that had the ability to change their form from human to deer. As such they lived their lives as a deer would, always on the move. However, Beast Boy knew one way to get their attention, especially when someone was expecting him. Taking a deep breath he blew out a long, high whistle that seemed to echo across the moor. It was only a few minutes later that a graceful deer could be seen bounding towards him. It came to a halt a few feet away before shifting into a beautiful woman standing in front of him and with her eyebrow raised.

"Your late" she said calmly in a voice that sent shivers down his body. He thought of all the memories he had with this woman. Together they had created the first Deer People (I think we all know how ;) ).

"I apologize for my lateness my Queen, Ria demanded to hear the story of my latest life and well… you know how she can be" Beast Boy responded with a smirk. Hylla thought for a moment before nodding in acceptance. Her eyes then took on a mischievous glint as she made her way towards him.

"Well then 'Beast Boy' we have a lot of time we need to make up for" Hylla said. Beast Boy's grin grew as he tilted his head down to plant a kiss on her lips. The kiss quickly became heated as Hylla proceeded to pull him towards the ground…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sun was rising in the moorlands, awakening the two lovers from their pleasant sleep. Truth be told there had not been much sleeping being done. Instead they had spent the night 'reacquainting' themselves with each other. It had been much too long.

However, their time together had to come to an end for now. Hylla needed to get back to her tribe and Beast Boy needed to get back to maintaining the peace within his forest. There were also a few other people he needed to 'visit' in the coming days.

'I swear I'm never more exhausted then when I come back home.' He thought to himself. Then he cracked a smile, which did not go unnoticed by his companion.

"Why are you smiling?" Hylla asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking of all the people that I still have to see." Beast Boy replied.

The unspoken message did not go unnoticed.

"Oh, and why is that funny."

"Because I was just thinking how this happens every time I return home. I just found it funny how I'm never more exhausted than when I'm 'dead'."

This got a smile out of Hylla. She knew that Beast Boy had others that he went to, everyone did. Well everyone besides her but that was her choice. It was pointless to be jealous with the cycle of life they went through. Though Hylla herself had not left Avalon in over a millennia. She had long ago given up on that world.

.

.

A half hour later a Hylla was off to rejoin his daughters and the rest of her clan. Beast Boy got one final look before he turned and headed back into his domain. He wondered who he would go see next.

'Maybe Tessa, I'm sure she would get a kick out of my latest 'adventure'.' He thought to himself. He gave a whistle to the sky and his companion Silver came down to meet him. Beast Boy then sent him away to locate Tessa. He whistled a happy tune as he walked through his forest when he was struck with a sudden thought.

How were his old friends doing?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A week had passed since Beast Boy's death and the Tower had been in a constant state of depression. Titans from around the world had been arriving every day since it happened in preparation for his funeral tomorrow. Yet even as the tower filled it never got any louder. This was not a celebration. This was a time for silent remembrance.

The Justice League had rented a good portion of a hotel and they had arrived earlier today. Tomorrow morning was the public funeral followed by the private funeral that night at the tower.

The remaining members of the Titans had all been handling their loss in different ways.

Robin had dove headfirst into preparations and making sure his old friend got the recognition he deserved. He was no stranger to death, after all he had lost both his parents when he was just a boy. It was a dangerous world, nothing was guaranteed. He had long ago come to terms with his own death but not those of his friends. He was having a hard time dealing with that.

Starfire was in much worse shape than her boyfriend. She had always been tuned in to her emotions. Most of the time they were positive. Now, she was having a hard time dealing with negative emotions. Even in her darkest times she had always managed to stay positive somehow. This however, was proving to be too much for her. She spent all her time crying, whether it be in kitchen, in her room, or on the roof. She constantly sought the comforts of her friends, and with the gathering of all the Titans there were more of those around than ever.

Cyborg was in an even worse state. Beast Boy had been his best friend, his little brother. They had spent so much time together they couldn't have been closer if they were related. Now that was all gone. No more playing video games on the couch. No more arguing over tofu and meat. No more watching movies together. Beast Boy had been the one closest to Cyborg on the team. They shared a ton of interests and they could do anything together.

Then there was Raven. She was doing the worst out of everyone on the team. She had shared a bond with Beast Boy that she didn't have with any of her other teammates. No one else seemed to understand her like he had. No one else had spent so much time and energy to make her feel welcome. Make her feel loved. He had slowly become her best friend, the person she could go to with any problem and he knew how to make her feel better. Now, she was the outsider once again, only this time there was going to be no one to pull her back in.

.

.

.

It was six in the morning and the Titans were beginning to file out of the tower. They were supposed to be in town square an hour before everything started. None of them were looking forward to this day. At the same time this was a day they were going to remember for the rest of their lives. Over the last week people from around the world had been flooding into the city to pay respects to the fallen hero.

The four remaining members of the original Titans had left the rest of the Titans from around the world asleep in the tower. After all they didn't need to be there, they would be going to the private funeral later that night.

All the titans were dressed in formal outfits. Robin and Cyborg were both wearing black tuxes. It had taken them a long time to find one that actually fit on Cyborg. The two girls were both dressed in black dresses and Raven had even gone without her hood and cloak for this event. The only thing that made them look like their usual selves was Robin's mask, Cyborg's well…Cyborg, Starfire's boots/heels, and Ravens jewel in the middle of her forehead.

It took a half hour but they were finally able to make it to the sight of the memorial. Beast Boy's body was already there, though the ceremony would be closed-lid due to the fact that a bridge had fallen on him.

Beast Boy's will had been very clear as to what he wanted to happen. All his money would be distributed to certain wilderness protection agencies spread throughout the world. As far as the funeral goes he did not mention much about the ceremony itself. The only thing he really asked was that at midnight his coffin be lit on fire so that his 'essence' can find its way back to the stars. No one really knew what to make of that but it was his only real wish so there was really no reason why they couldn't follow it.

A few minutes after they arrived the Titans were joined by the Doom Patrol, the only people that were as close to Beast Boy as the Titans were. Larry and Clint had been the uncles that Beast Boy never had, Mento had been like a second father to Beast Boy, and Elastigirl had been his second mother. This ceremony was as much for them as it was for the Titans, one last chance for them all to say goodbye.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was ten before eight and a huge crowd had already gathered, waiting for eight so they could approach the former hero. At the front of that line stood a family of two. A woman and her child, a little girl named Sophie. They had been sure to be the first ones in line this morning.

Why?

Because just a little over one week ago Sophie had been standing underneath a bridge as it was coming down around her. It was only through the actions of a jade hero that she had been spared from her fate. Her mother could just as easily have been attending her daughter's funeral instead.

(Flashback)

The mother, Bridget, had been standing a few feet away. She had been distracted by the chase that was going on that she didn't notice her daughter sneak away from her. It was only when she heard the bridge coming down that she turned around and saw a scene from out of her nightmares. Her daughter was standing underneath the bridge, and there was no way she could get there in time.

She thought that was going to be the last she saw of her baby girl until a miracle saved her. A green cheetah had come dashing in and grabbed her daughter and she was so relieved. Everything was going to be ok. Then everything went to hell. A falling piece of concrete had come down on the cheetah's leg, trapping both the hero and her daughter.

In what was the longest half a minute of her life she had to stand there and watch as the bridge came down on the two of them. Then the dust cleared and she could see her daughter laying clear of the wreck on the other side of the fallen bridge. She had rushed over to her daughter and held her so tight that she never wanted to let her go again.

Her happiness was disrupted by the cries of Cyborg as he dug through the wreck of the bridge. She remembered looking around for the green hero that had saved her daughter and realizing for the first time that he was nowhere to be seen. Bridget could only stand there in shock as the Titans dug for their fallen friend. She had been broken out of her shock when she saw her daughter go over and attempt to help the cyber teen lift a piece of concrete.

She had gone to help her daughter, even though she knew that she couldn't lift those heavy pieces of fallen bridge. Little did she know that they had set off a chain reaction that lead to over a hundred people coming to aid their heroes in their search for Beast Boy.

(End Flashback)

She was jolted out of her memory by Robin of the Teen Titans motioning everyone forward. It was time. Everyone moved as one big line up to the front. Bridget and her daughter were at the front so they were able to pay their respects first. When they got to the coffin they would only get a couple of seconds before they had to keep moving.

After paying their respects they turned to move away but were stopped by a giant in a tuxedo. Bridget recognized the man, as did her daughter.

"Mommy look its Cyborg." She said.

"Yes dear I see him." Bridget responded before turning back to the hero.

"You're that girl that Beast Boy saved." He asked her daughter.

"Yep" She said. "He was my favorite."

Cyborg gave a sad smile. "Yea. How old are you kiddo?"

"Six" she said while holding up her fingers.

"Wow. Well I'm sure Beast Boy would be thrilled that you are here. He always loved to meet fans of his" Cyborg said with a smile.

Now it was Bridget's turn to cut in to the conversation. "How could we not come? After all he's done for this city not to mention what he's done for us personally. I meant what I said that day it happened. There is no way I could ever repay him for what he did."

"Well, I just thought that you might like to know there is a special ceremony after this back at the Tower. It is supposed to be super heroes only but I think Beast Boy would want you to be there."

"We would love to come."

"Ok, if you wait around I could come find you after this is over a give you a ride over. I've got some room left in my car."

"Sounds lovely."

They are interrupted when Elastigirl makes her way over to them. She bends down so she is at the same level as Sophie before asking softly.

"You're the girl that Garfield saved that day aren't you?"

Sophie looks at her curiously. "Who are you? And who is Garfield?"

"My name is Elastigirl. Garfield was my son, but you all knew him as Beast Boy."

"Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Bridget replies.

"Thank you. I'm just glad that he was able to save your daughter. If there was one thing that Garfield loved more than anything it was helping people." With one last sad smile Elastigirl went back to rejoin her husband and the rest of her team.

.

.

.

Time passed and hours later the ceremony was almost over. It was the mayor's time to speak. The remaining members of the Titans had each given short speeches, though they were saving their real speeches for the private ceremony back at the Tower.

The mayor had just gotten onto the stage and was getting ready to address those still at the ceremony. Also, his speech would be broadcasted on the local news networks so those at home could also watch.

"We are here today to pay tribute to our fallen hero. Beast Boy is a name that everyone in this city knows and appreciates. For years he has protected this city along with the rest of the Teen Titans. He has helped to put away countless criminals over the course of his time here. Saved countless lives and changed even more. He was a model for what everyone should hope to be. Selfless, Courageous, Caring. This is never clearer than in his final act. When faced with the choice to either stay safe or risk it all for a girl he didn't even know, he never hesitated. There was never a doubt in his mind as to what he was going to do. He raced in to save her life and hid did. And well… you all know the rest of the story. But today isn't all about mourning. Today is about celebrating the life he led. All the things he has done not just for us, but for the world. So now I ask you all to tell stories. Tell your children. Tell your friends. Tell everyone your favorite stories of Beast Boy. If we continue to do this, the spirit of Beast Boy will live forever."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In another world, Beast Boy was laughing as he looked into his sister's scrying bowl. His sister was standing next to him and looking at him with a curious gaze.

"What's so funny Beasty?" She asked.

"Oh come on. 'The spirit of Beast Boy will live forever.' I can't be the only one that finds the humor in that. Well… you know. Out of the people in Avalon."

Ria chuckled as she finally understood what her brother had been laughing about. Truthfully she was a little mad that she had not thought of that. The two of them were very commonly known as the jokers of Avalon. Their practical jokes and pranks were infamous throughout the land.

"It must be hard for all your former teammates though. They don't know about your spirit." Ria said to her brother. She watched as her brother's face turned from smiling to troubled. This was always something her brother struggled through. Garfield was a caring person, he felt his friend's pain as if it was his own.

Now there was just one more thing he had to suffer through. His friend's last goodbye to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **I am sorry for the long wait between updates. I never thought I would go so long without writing but things came up. College has been busy and I have had a serious case of writer's block that I have been struggling with. Expect updates on the rest of my stories to come soon.**

 **The poll is up on my page for who Beast Boy will be with, top 5 get in. You can also vote by commenting or messaging me who you want. A lot of questions answered in this chapter but there is still some mystery. All remaining questions will be answered in the coming chapters. Don't worry, Beast Boy will see his friends once again. So until next time, this is Dark 350 saying, I'm Back.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **Well everyone, I'm back. It's been a long time since I've updated any of my stories but after taking the entirety of the summer off I'm glad to be updating again. This chapter will feature the funeral at Titan's Tower and Beast Boy's final goodbye. My plan is for next chapter to feature a time skip so enjoy the Teen Titans while you can because after this chapter, they won't be teens anymore.**

 **Don't own Teen Titans, please don't sue.**

 **Soul of a Hero Chapter 3: Welcome Home/Saying Goodbye Part 2**

It was around 4:00 in the evening and the public funeral was wrapping up. It seemed like the entire city had stopped by to say their goodbyes over the course of the day. Now the Titans were preparing to transfer the coffin back to Titan's Tower, where they would be having a private funeral for any heroes that wanted to stop by and pay their respects.

They had already heard from all Titans around the world, all of whom had confirmed they were coming. They had also heard from several members of the Justice League saying they would also be attending.

Cyborg was waiting by the T-car for his teammates, Mal Duncan aka the Herald had arrived moments ago and sent himself and Beast Boy's body back to the tower. Cyborg however would be driving back since he drove to the service he needed to get his car home.

A couple hours ago he had heard back from the mother of the child Beast Boy had died to save telling him they would not be able to make it to the additional service. Apparently the day had been too much for her young daughter.

'It was probably for the best' he thought. 'Now no one would need to be in costume because it would just be heroes around.'

After they had all gathered at the car they began the short ride home. At least, it used to feel short. Today every mile felt like 100 after the long day they had just suffered through. They had suffered through thousands of people coming up to them and giving them their condolences. Whenever something bad happens to people's natural reaction is to say how sorry they are and how bad they feel for you, which is nice the first few times. However it quickly becomes tedious and by the end you find yourself ready to punch somebody.

As they approached their home all four remaining Titans had the same thought in their minds.

'This is going to be a long night.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _(Meanwhile in Avalon)_

Garfield was still leaned over his sister's scrying bowl. He had always found watching his own funerals to be one of the hardest things he has to go through. To be honest he felt it was worse than the actual dying part itself. Well, most of the time. He had had a couple of lives that ended rather violently and not at all quickly, memories that he would rather have left behind.

He had been forced to watch as his friends suffered through the day, something he had never wanted to do. A year ago he had be talking with Cyborg about what should happen if he were to die and he had joked around saying that he didn't want anything big. Cyborg probably believed he was joking around but in all honesty he was telling the truth. He had always wanted a small, personal service. Nothing but close friends and his adoptive family. Needless to say that was not what he was receiving.

"Are you ok?" He vaguely heard his sister ask him.

Drawing himself out of his thoughts he looked up to see her staring at him with concern evident in her eyes. Sometimes he believed his sister was right to remain in Avalon full time. She had not had someone she cared about die in over a hundred years. People and animals live much longer in Avalon than they do on Earth. His sister and he had long ago lost track of how old they were. They were still unsure of how long they would live, for all they knew they would live forever. There was still so much yet unknown about what happened to them.

"Yea. It's just hard having to watch them go through this. I tried to tell Cyborg that I only wanted a small ceremony but I guess they had other ideas." He responded.

"Well they cared about you. They probably wanted you to receive the recognition you deserved." She replied.

"I know and believe me, I appreciate that. But I never wanted the recognition. I was completely fine with being in the background, always had been."

"Wow, how things change." She replied with a smirk. She always forgot how much her brother changes when he returns from Earth. Every time he leaves Avalon, he loses all his memories as he is reborn into a new life. This leads to him having different personalities while still on Earth as compared to his personality back home. Every time he returns, he seems to keep a small piece of each life evident in who he is.

Rea had done the whole rebirth and new life thing a few times herself but not for a long time. Her brother had always been the one most willing to enter rebirth. He enjoyed his time on Avalon immensely but something seemed to always drag him back to Earth. Rea had spent centuries watching her brother suffer through the aftermath of his most recent life, whether it simply be watching his friends struggle through his death or whether it be the countless emotional wounds he collected from his lives. It was the main reason she chose to remain in Avalon, where things were much more peaceful and her friends lived much longer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Back on Earth the final ceremony was beginning to wrap up which meant it was time to fulfill the friend's last wish. In 20 minutes, at exactly midnight, Beast Boy's body would be set ablaze and released to the winds. It was the only way to ensure no one would dig up his body and attempt to copy his powers.

The heroes still left consisted of the original Titans, the Doom Patrol, and a few members of Titan's team around the world. While all Titans were staying at the Tower for the next few days many had chosen to go to bed, exhausted from the stress of the day. Only those closest to the verdant hero had remained to watch his body be returned to the Earth.

And so there they were, standing on the shore of Titan's Island with the body of their friend laying in its casket in front of them. They casket had remained closed for the majority of the day, only being opened by the Doom Patrol so they could say one last goodbye to the fallen hero. The Titans had opted not to look inside the coffin themselves, deciding they wanted to remember Beast Boy the way he was in life instead of how he looked in death.

It was almost time. Time for them to set the coffin ablaze and allow Beast Boy's spirit to ascend to the heavens. Of course those were Raven's words. She had spent much of her time since his death reading about Viking funerals and the symbolism of the funeral pyre. Not that she actually believed in the Old Norse myths but she found it to be an effective way of taking her mind off of things. This had seemed to be the theme of the team up until today. Keep yourself busy and try not to think about him too much. Of course all of them had failed but they gave it one hell of a go.

In her reading she had discovered that Viking chiefs were put on a boat and sailed out to sea before the village would shoot flaming arrows and light the boat on fire. She had found this to be a far more appropriate way to honor Beast Boy's memory. After a brief discussion with the other members of the team they had agreed as well, with some slight changes. Cyborg had built the boat that would carry their friend. It was made out of wood so that it would burn like Raven had said but instead of flaming arrows they would be using more modern means. Starfire of course would be using her Cyborg had designed a type of weapon based of a flare gun but designed to burn much hotter and brighter. The ship would burn and anything left of their old friend would drop deep into the sea, leaving nothing for anyone to come along and clone.

It was time. The coffin had already been loaded onto the boat and Cyborg was shoving it of the shore and into the water. The four remaining members of the original Titans and all four members of the Doom Patrol watched it for a half hour, waiting to make sure it got far away from the island and into deep enough water.

Finally after Cyborg had deemed it a suitable distance they all took up their special flare guns. Just like the Viking civilizations of old everyone there was going to take part in this ceremony. Everyone present had meant the world to Beast Boy and he in turn had meant the world to them.

Minutes later the small group that had gathered together stood on the edge of the shore and watched the bright light that had formerly been the vessel carrying their dead friend. Mento was his usual stoic self yet if you looked closely you could see a slight twitch in his lips, unable to completely shield his emotions like usual. Rita was making no effort to hide the tears which flowed freely down her face. Negative Man's emotions were impossible to decipher as with Clint.

As for the Titans they were not fairy much better than Beast Boy's first team. Starfire was busy crying into Robin's shoulder while the Boy Wonder was holding her tightly, almost as if to hold onto his own emotions. Cyborg was wiping a few stray tears from his eyes as he continued to stare at the bright light in the distance. As for Raven, she had pulled her hood up to conceal her face, allowing no one to see the tears that escaped from her eyes.

Although the ceremony on the beach was just for those closest to the green changeling did not mean that those that were left were not watching things. The Titan teams that were staying the night at the Tower had all gathered on the roof and were staring out the window into the distance, watching the bright light that had by this point expanded high into the air. So much so that several people in the city had gathered by the shore to watch the light as well.

Now it was time for the Titans surprise. Those that remained had bought several of those light up mini hot air balloons. Each person had one that they were working on lighting. After several seconds and making sure everyone was ready they released them into the sky. More than 50 of these beautiful lights lifted into the air, awing everyone watching from the city.

It took a couple of moments but eventually the heroes down at the beach noticed the lights floating above them and out over the ocean. Starfire lifted her gaze to the roof and offered a watery smile to those gathered there. There was nothing more that could be said, so no one did. The next hour was filled with people simply watching the scene until eventually the lights faded and everyone retired to their rooms.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _(Meanwhile back on Avalon)_

Beast Boy watched the entire scene through his sister's scrying bowl. Words could not describe how touched he was at the ceremony that his friends had put together. The turnout for his funeral was beyond anything he could have ever imagined. You never really know how many people's lives you have touched over the course of your own life.

Beside him his sister had her arms around him, holding him tightly in an effort to lessen his pain in some way. She was once again reminded of why she never left Avalon anymore. It was far too easy to get hurt. But she knew he would get through it. He always did. She also knew that this would in no way discourage her brother from going back to that world. For some reason he was never able to stay away for long. But that would come later, for now he was back with her and that was what counted.

They watched as his former team filed back into the Tower and retired to their respected rooms. Beast Boy was briefly happy at the sight of Raven going into her own room rather than into Robin's with Starfire like she used to when he was still alive. This feeling brought along with it the feeling of guilt. After all, he had watched her and all of them struggle through his absence for the last few nights and if Raven spending the night with Robin in any way lessened the pain then he supposed he should be happy for that. But he couldn't help it. For as unselfish as he pretended to be in his old life, he was far from truly being so. He simply refused to allow himself to act on any of these selfish desires.

And so she slowly turned her brother around and led him away from the scrying bowl and back to their house by the shore. In the coming weeks she knew he would be very busy. There were several things that needed his attention. As guardians of the wood realm they were responsible for keeping the peace in their realm. There were several Guardians, each responsible for their own reals spread throughout Avalon. They all knew each other but Garfield was very 'close' with several of them. And they had been missing him the last 17 years.

Arriving back at their cabin she immediately set her brother back into bed. He had had a very draining day and he was dead on his feet by the time they arrived back home. After settling him in for the night Rea decided to take a trip up to the roof.

The sun had long since set and the stars were out. The two of them had always loved to look at the stars. Garfield had always claimed they were one of the things he missed most about Avalon when he was gone. The two of them were some of the only beings on Avalon that truly knew what those stars were. Then of course there was the tree.

The world tree, or as it was known in the Old Norse myths, Yggdrasil. It truly was as the name described it. A tree whose body touched every part of Avalon and whose roots went so deep no one had ever found the ends. Its branches reached so high they seemed to touch the stars themselves. The longest time Garfield had been back the two of them had taken a trip in an attempt to reach the highest point of the tree, a place so high it was not even visible to the world below. It was more than a century before they returned to the world below. During their time climbing they had seen horrors so dark they still had nightmares. However they had also seen sights so pure and beautiful it would take their breath away. Yet still they had never reached the top. As near as they could tell, they were not even close.

That was over a millennia ago and since then Rea had been dying to give their journey another try. The last time he was on Avalon they had spent much of their time planning for their journey but ultimately decided to wait. Perhaps now he was ready. They both loved their forest, along with all its creatures and their friends. But neither could shake this desire of theirs. They wanted to go where no one had gone before. To climb so high they could reach out and touch the stars. They always swore that one day they would do it, but for now her brother had to rest. After all, they had waited a thousand years to go on another expedition, what was a few more.

And so they remained in their forest, tended to the creatures and fought against any darkness that threatened their land. Garfield filled his days spending time with his sister, visiting the other creatures that made their home in the forest and getting reacquainted with old friends. He would spend some time checking in on his friends back on Earth with his scrying bowl but as time passed he found himself checking less and less. And before anyone knew it ten years had passed.

 **Authors Note:**

 **And I am back. Did you miss me? Yea probably not. Anyway I know it's been a while since I updated but I am back and I plan on updating all my stories once again now that I am mostly through finals. Again send me your suggestions as to who you think Beast Boy should end up with. I speak of course of the heroes in the DC universe because he will see them again, just you wait. Let me know what you like or what you didn't like, I know how to take criticism trust me I'm not going to be offended. Follow, favorite, comment, message me I don't care just let me know what you think.**

 **If any of you are following my How to Train Your Dragon story I rebooted it, the first chapter is up. The first chapter is mostly the same but I would recommend reading the AU at the end of it for details. Thank you.**

 **Until next time, this has been Dark350 saying see you all next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright another update coming. We left off with Beast Boy returning to his life in Avalon and watching the funeral that the remaining Titans had thrown for him. Like I promised this chapter will take place several years into the future, ten to be exact. I did get some concerns about such a big time skip but I thought it would be for the best. After all, Beast Boy will not have changed at all over these years but his friends back on Earth will have. This is when the story truly begins.**

 **I do not own Teen Titans or any of the characters that appear in this story.**

 **Chapter 4: Impending Darkness**

The spirit lands lay peaceful and serene. The wind created a pleasant breeze as it gently stirred the grass on the ground. The leaves on the trees rustled, giving this land its own sound. In the distance lay a great range of mountains, dividing this land in half.

On one side lay a lush green meadow, sunlight constantly bathing it in its glow. The only sound to be heard was that of the wind. Off to the side of the meadow lay a great lake, slight ripples disrupting the glassy surface of the water. The sunlight caused it to sparkle as if it were made of diamonds.

However on the other side of the high peaks lay a land much different from this. Instead of green and growing, it was black and barren. Nothing but rocks and dirt lay scattered across the desolate landscape. For this was a cursed land, not even the light of day could illuminate the grounds.

But the dark side of the land was not completely empty. In the middle of the land, seated on top of a large rock was a tree. While its size may not be anything compared to the world tree, compared to normal trees it was massive. However, nothing green grew on it. The tree was long dead, its color a sickly grey, with a giant hole in the front, showing that it was completely hollowed out. Though at first glance it appeared empty, however if one looked closely they could feel more than see the dark presence that seemed to radiate power.

Over everything lay the roots of a grand tree. For these lands lay at the very base of the world tree, the lowest level you can possible go. The light shone through the roots to give half this land its glow.

Seated beneath a tree on the light side, whose size was equal to that of the dead tree on the other side of the mountain, sat a lone figure. He was enormous in size, a long set of antlers sprouting from the top of his head. His eyes were closed as he basked in the peace that this world provides. This was Dagda, guardian of the spirit lands.

Unfortunately that peace was not to last. He soon felt a ripple in the energy around him, a sign that something had gone wrong in the spirit lands. The origin of this ripple seemed to come from the dark side, from the tree itself. Quickly rising to his feet, Dagda raced towards the mountains and gazed over the scarred lands. Casting out his energy he sent his spirit towards the tree, seeking the presence of the darkness that was contained within. To his dismay, but not necessarily shock, he found no evidence of the dark presence.

Abandoning the tree he cast his energy out to search the remainder of the dark lands. It quickly proved to be a tricky task, the darkness of the land itself helping to cloak his target. Eventually he was able to find a trail leading towards the edge of the spirit lands, where the vines of the great tree met touched the ground.

Setting of at a fast pace he moved a pace beyond that of what should be possible. In moments he had reached his destination and stood before the shifting darkness of his old foe for the first time in millennia.

The form was vaguely humanoid except for the shadows that poured from him and the darkness that made up his form was ever shifting. The figures face was completely blank, no features could be made out. No mouth, eyes or nose lay upon his face.

"How did you break free?" he asked.

"You of all people should understand that little tree wouldn't hold me forever." The figured said in a voice that radiated power.

"I do" Dagda responded. "But if you tell me how you escaped maybe your next prison will hold you longer."

The figure gave a dark laugh.

"Perhaps. But what would be the point. Eventually I would be free, just as I am now. All you can hope for is to delay the inevitable. We both know balance must be preserved."

"Yes. I remember having to teach _you_ that lesson. When we were younger you nearly destroyed the world."

"That was a long time ago old friend. I have learned much since those days, whereas you look very relaxed. These last thousand years have weakened you."

"We shall see."

Dagda once more raced forward and delivered a shot that sent his opponent back into the rocks behind him in an explosion of green. Pressing his advantage he summoned an orb of pulsing green energy and sent it towards the shadowy figure.

Seeing the ball coming at him the figure rolled to the side before rising to his feet. Drawing on the darkness around him he retaliated with streams of dark energy that moved through the air and struck the hulking figure, sending him flying through the air before coming to crash back into the ground.

He gave out a chuckle as his shadows lifted him into the air and carried him towards Dagda, who was struggling back to his feet.

"You _have_ gotten weak. This 'peace' of yours has not been good for you. But even at the height of your powers you should have known better than to challenge me here. The land itself gives its power to me."

"I've sealed you away many times before my old friend. Last time I even did so right here in these lands. I can and will do so again."

The dark figure gave another laugh before his shaped finally stopped the constant shifting. He was about the same height as Dagda, with a handsome face that appeared to be in its twenties. His eyes were pools of blackness that were fixed on the face of his opponent.

"I will admit that you surprised me last time. Sealing me within my own land was unexpected but don't think you can do it again. For ten thousand years you have held control, now it's my turn."

Using the darkness around him he created a spear and aimed it at his foe. Letting out a scream he launched the spear towards his foe and struck him in the shoulder. Or rather, that was what he intended. Instead once the spear made contact the form of Dagda disappeared in a flurry of green spots.

He gave out a bellow of anger and searched around until he was slammed from behind by the fast moving form of Dagda. He sent the figure flying through the air and crashing into a formation of rock some 100 yards away.

While it wasn't a damaging blow it did manage to stun his opponent. Moving forward Dagda pressed his advantage, sending another blast of green energy towards the figure rising to his feet. At the last moment the figure shifted out of the way and followed it up with a dark energy ball of his own. Reacting just in time Dagda managed to summon up his own shield and deflect the attack.

The two powerful figures took a short break to catch their breath and stare at each other.

"Well, it appears you are not quite as weak as I thought." The shadowy figure said.

"That has always been your problem _Erebus_. You mistake peace for weakness.

Erebus smirked. "Perhaps. However we both know how this will end." With that he hardened the darkness around him into a curved sword as black as night.

"If there is one thing we more than anyone else should know, it is the uncertainty of what is to come. The tides of fate can be turned in a single moment, the balance of destiny shifted in the blink of an eye."

"Indeed. I learned that lesson ten thousand years ago when you tipped the balance of the universe your way. When the light toppled the darkness and gave way to the reign of the human race. That reign has now reached its dusk, the light of day just barely holding back the night. But not for much longer."

"They will endure. No matter if I should fall or triumph in this battle they will continue on."

Erebus gave another dark chuckle. "I don't think so. You are right in that these humans that you seem to put so much trust in have grown since the dawn of your reign. But the darkness has many ways to snuff out the light. That is why I will ensure the human race never rises to power, erasing the entire course of their history."

Dagda face showed a look of confusion for several moments before his eyes widened and he fully understand just what his old enemy had planned.

"You're insane. You won't just destroy them. You will destroy everything that is."

"Yes, I will. And from the ashes of the old I will create a new world. One in which I rule and the puny humans never became more than primitive beasts living in the dirt."

"You will never succeed. I have sealed you away from that land. There is no way for you to enter Avalon." Dagda declared.

"Maybe not from here. That is why I have already sent a piece of my soul from these lands. Even now I can feel it approaching earth. There it will find a host to do my bidding. You have lost track of time old friend. The portal will be opened once again come summers end. And with it I will once more enter Avalon and break the seal binding me to this place. Face it Dagda, you've been outplayed."

After finishing this statement Erebus charged, his sword raised high in the air. Dagda removed a small piece of wood from his cloak and charged to meet him. As he ran green energy once again pulsed until the tick was now a long, sturdy branch with a staff head on one end and sharpened to a point on the other.

The two spirits met with a clash, the resulting energy sending shockwaves through the land and up the world tree itself. The two went for hours trading blows with each other, parrying and dodging before striking back at their opponent. However they were in the shadowlands, which put Dagda at a large disadvantage. One that was showing more and more signs of taking effect. The land itself was draining energy from the spirit of light and giving energy to his opponent. He knew there was no way he was winning this fight.

In one last desperate move he through his opponent away and sent a blast of green energy traveling back to his land and the portal that lay in it. After doing so he was struck by the sword sending him crashing to the ground with a cry. It was a mighty strike but not enough to vanquish a being as powerful as him.

Erebus used his foot to roll his opponent onto his back. Bending down he asked menacingly, "who did you contact?"

Dagda gave a pained, weak laugh. He had lost most of his energy in the battle and in no position to fight anymore.

"It does not matter. They will stop you. You may have defeated me but you are still trapped in this world. Away from the land you want the most. Avalon will not be yours. He will stop you, no matter the cost."

Giving a shout of rage Erebus slammed his opponent once more and grabbed him. Lifting him into the air with only one hand. Stalking over to the tree he had previously been held captive in he threw him into the trunk and sealed the spirit of Dagda away.

"It matters not who you sent that little message to. You have lost. Darkness will once more descend upon these lands, spreading throughout the tree and into every world in this universe. And soon, I will be free to enter Avalon once more. A darkness is coming."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A small figure darted through the woods, his breath coming out in gasps and eyes darting around to survey his surroundings. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and take stock of his surroundings.

He started at the sound of a twig snapping close behind him and immediately took off at another sprint. Now it was not only his own breathing he could hear but the breathing of the person chasing him. Then suddenly it was gone.

Confused the figure stopped and turned around, searching for the figure that had vanished into thin air. After another few moments of searching his eyes widened and slowly rolled up. Just as his gaze reached the treetops a figure came diving down and crashed into him. Stunned from the impact all the guy could do was stare up and wait as the figure raised its hand and brought it down.

"Tag, you're it." Ria shouted with glee before rising once more and taking off. Garfield rose back to his feet and with a smile took off after the fleeing form of his sister.

It had been ten years since Garfield had returned to Avalon from his latest life. Ten years since Beast Boy had left his friends and his old life behind. While he did miss his old life from time to time it was nothing compared to the joy he felt at being here with his sister and all their old friends. That's not to say he forgot about his old teammates and friends. He made sure to check up on them several times a week using his sister's scrying bowl. While at first it was difficult watching them get over his death he had found a kind of peace as he saw them get on with their lives. It had taken him several weeks to get reacquainted with all his friends around Avalon. After which his life resumed much the same as it was before he left on his latest adventure. His sister had spent much of these last ten years trying to convince him to go on another expedition up the World Tree and while the idea did tempt him there was something telling him to wait. That now was not the right time. Needless to say his sister had not been happy with that answer and had been trying to change his mind but he had held firm. It's not that Beast Boy did not want to go on another journey. In fact he often dreamed about what it would be like to be the first people to reach the stars.

Fortunately up till now he had been able to keep his sister content with exploring the many realms of Avalon. The land itself was divided into 7 realms, each with its own creatures and characteristics. And overseeing each land are several guardians, such as Garfield and his sister Ria. When the two arrived at Avalon all those thousands of years ago they had fallen in love with one realm in particular, the realm they watch over and spend the majority of their time in. It is referred to as the Woodlands.

Garfield had almost caught up with his sister when he heard a strange noise. Slowing to a stop, his sister not realizing her brother was no longer chasing her, he cast his gaze around his surroundings. He remained completely still and silent, listening for any hint of anything around him. Just when he had about convinced himself that he imagined it he heard it again. This time he was able to recognize it as a voice. Even stranger was that it seemed to be calling out to him.

" _Garfield. Garfield. Come to the water."_

While he may not have been able determine the owner of the voice it did sound strangely familiar. If there was one thing that Garfield had always done it was follow his instincts and right now every single one of them was telling him to follow the voice. With that in mind he set off, following the voice deeper into the woods. He had been walking for around an hour, steadily listening to the voice grow louder and louder until the forest finally opened up and he gazed upon a gorgeous, blue lake. It reminded him about the lake his house lay next to but smaller.

Looking out over the water he saw a glimmering green form crystal hovering over the middle of the lake. As he continued to watch the crystal started twisting into a completely new shape. Now he was no longer looking at a strange green shape, instead he looked at the jaded form of Dagda. The figure descended until he was standing on the water itself and started to walk towards Garfield on the edge of the lake.

"Dagda, what are you doing here?" Garfield asked the figure curiously.

"Darkness descends my friend. Erebus has broken free of his constraints and sealed me away within the spirit lands. Fortunately before he did so I was able to send this message out, I pray that it reaches you soon. I apologize that I will not be around to offer you assistance or answer any of the countless questions you must have for me. Erebus has sent a piece of himself to Earth looking for the Well. You must return and find it before he does. He must not be allowed to enter Avalon or he could and will destroy everything. I'm sorry to steal you away from your rest but this cannot be put off."

Beast Boy listened to the entire message in silence, trying to digest what he was being told. Before he could fully process what he was being told the green figure dropped down into the lake, upsetting the formerly placid water. The water took on a fast moving tide, swirling around and around turning the whole lake into a cyclone that sucked even the air into it. Garfield's eyes grew wide with alarm and he tried to run away from the vortex that had formed out of nowhere. However, the force of the pull proved to be too much. He was fighting a losing battle and he knew it. It was only a matter of time before the strength of the pull overwhelmed him and he would be dragged in.

Just as he was about to give up he was met with another voice calling his name. Unlike the first this was one he would recognize anywhere. It appeared as though his sister had finally noticed his absence and had tracked him down.

"Garfield" she cried desperately racing towards him. She latched one hand onto a branch of a nearby tree branch and the other onto her brother's hand with the other. She continued to strain against the force that sought to steal her brother away from her.

"Ria, you have to let me go. Dagda called for me. I need to go back to earth." Garfield called over the roar of the wind as it rushed passed them.

"Are you crazy, I'm not just letting you go back there. You promised me at least another 10 years before you even think of going back." She yelled back to him.

"I know, but Dagda said it was an emergency. I can't explain everything right now but the world is in danger. If I don't go things could get worse than we could possibly imagine."

Ria was feeling very conflicted at the moment. She knows that this is not something her brother would make up so he must truly believe he was needed back on Earth. But then again when he went back there he is usually reborn into another life with no memory of who he was beforehand. Then again if Dagda was involved there was no telling what could be going on.

"Fine, but there is no way you're leaving me behind. If you're really facing something that dangerous I'm going with you." After finishing her statement she released her grip on the tree, allowing no time for him to argue with her. Now with nothing to hang on to the two siblings went flying into the lake. Fighting their way back to the surface they could do nothing but keep their heads above the water as they were dragged to the center of the lake and down into the vortex, disappearing from sight. Immediately after they disappeared the lake returned to its usual placid state. The force that had just a second ago been pulling into the center was gone, leaving no evidence that anything had been wrong.

And back on Earth a redheaded female woman washed up on the shores of Jump City. Coughing the water out of her lungs she shook her head in an attempt to clear the fog that kept her from thinking straight. The last thing she remembered she and her brother were being sucked into some kind of vortex and suddenly she is ending up on some kind of beach. Thinking back she recalled Garfield yelling something about needing to go back to Earth. Her eyes widened in realization. They had leapt between worlds, and even stranger yet she seemed to have all her memories perfectly intact. Typical of Dagda, he makes a set of rules that they had to follow yet he apparently has absolutely no problems breaking them when he needs to.

Thinking about her brother makes her search around for him, panic rising inside her as she realizes he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps going through the portal had split them up or maybe he had got to shore earlier than her and gone on ahead.

"Garfield? Garfield this isn't funny." She called out. After several minutes of calling and still receiving no answer she decided to head off into the city to look for him. "I swear when I find you I am going to kick your ass so hard your next ten lives aren't going to be able sit right."

If she had waited a few more minutes she would have found her brother. For while Ria had not been on Earth in millennia, Garfield had existed just ten years ago. In the bay of Jump City, just off the coast of Titan's Island, underwater, a strange thing was occurring. All the essence that had ten years ago been a body that was lit on fire and descended into the ocean was coming back together. Slowly but surely a figure was forming. It had a skinny frame that shone a rich jade color. Short green hair framed a late 20's face, a long canine tooth sticking out of the figures mouth. As his form continued to come back together the body floated back towards the beach where Ria had been standing just minutes earlier. By the time it arrived the figure was whole again. Deposited on the beach the figure's eyes flew open and he took his first breath in a decade.

Beast Boy had returned.

Feeling incredibly weak he could do nothing but lay there and look at the sky above him. Judging by the coloring of the sky and the fading of the stars he guessed that dawn was fast approaching. Finally after what he judged to be a half hour he was able to lift his head and survey the scene around him. As he suspected dawn had indeed come and the sun was now fully emerged from over the horizon. However as he was looking around he was met with an incredible sight. He knew this beach. He had stood on it before, many years ago. Slowly he managed to drag his unsteady body into a kneeling position and look at the city behind him. Just as he expected, Jump City lay behind him.

He blinked at it in amazement. He had never expected to be back here, at least not when he could remember that he had been here before. Even from this distance he could see some of the changes that had come about during his absence. There were new and taller buildings that made up the skyline of the majestic city. Turning around again and looking out towards the ocean he was met with another familiar sight that brought tears to his eyes. Titans Tower stood tall and proud, bathed in the light of the morning sun. Choked by his emotions he brought an unsteady hand up to wipe the moisture that had gathered in his eyes. That simple gesture in itself brought another surprise for him.

Instead of the tan hand that he had grown accustomed to over the last decade he was met with the green hand that he had been living with for several years prior. Crawling back over to the edge of the water he looked into his own reflection and was met with a sight he never thought he would see. Apparently being dead had not stopped his body from aging, Instead of the teen face he had had when he left this world he was looking into an older version of himself. Another thing he noticed was, to his embarrassment, that apparently his clothing had not come back with his body. He was completely bared to the world. He thanked whatever higher power was listening at the time that it was early and he had been deposited onto an empty stretch of beach.

"So this is what I'd look like when I'm 28." He said to himself. "I have no idea how this is possible but I'm back."

At that moment the memory of what happened right before he was sucked back into the portal and back to Earth caught up with him. The thought of the coming darkness shocked him out of his amazement and reminded his exactly why he had been returned. With those thoughts came another memory, he had not been sucked in alone.

"Shit Ria." He exclaimed. Looking again around the beach he was able to see a familiar set of footprints leaving the beach and heading up into the city.

'Please don't be her' he thought to himself. Shifting out of his nude form and into that of an emerald colored wolf. Lowering his nose and sniffing the scent that went with the tracks he rolled his eyes and exhaled. 'Of course it is. Why is it I always have to bail my sister out of trouble when she goes wandering into strange places? Well, I'd better go find her before she gets herself into trouble. It's been a few thousand years since she was last on Earth, she has no idea what she's getting herself into.'

Shifting his form to that of a bloodhound so as to attract less attention he began to follow the scent into the city.

 **Well, I'm back. I'm sorry it took so long to get this update up but life kept getting in the way. All things considered I'm actually pretty happy with this chapter. The story had been set up and we are now moving into the main plot of the story. Sorry if this leaves you with questions, I'm sure it will, but it was meant to be somewhat vague. More details will be released in the coming chapters. For now we are leaving Avalon, I have'nt decided when we will return or even if they will go back before the end.**

 **Next time on** _ **Soul of a Hero**_ **Ria has a run in with the Titans and Beast Boy tries to track down his sister before she can get herself into any trouble all the while avoiding being detected by his former teammates. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Like/Favorite/comment or message me. If you have any questions about what is going on don't be afraid to reach out. Maybe I'll answer or I may tell you that the details will come out later in the story. I always respond to any messages I may have so please don't be shy.**

 **Until next time, I am Dark 350. Thanks for reading, see you all next time.**


End file.
